Founding AE (Remote USA East/North Central)

About Acerta Analytics

Acerta develops cutting-edge software solutions that empower quality and manufacturing engineers on the shop floor with the power of machine learning. Our flagship product, LinePulse, ingests data from the shop floor to provide actionable insights that help manufacturers accelerate root cause analysis, predict upcoming defects, and improve quality while reducing scrap and rework rates.

As we continue to expand, Acerta is seeking a Founding Account Executive to win new logos and help shape a scalable global strategy. You will play a critical role in developing a new logo strategy for key accounts and helping us scale our Account-Based Marketing (ABM) and sales approach.

Role Overview

The Founding Account Executive will be responsible for driving new logo acquisitions across a cultivated list of top Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) prospects, primarily within the automotive manufacturing sector. You’ll collaborate closely with internal teams, including product managers and customer success representatives, to understand and translate customer needs into effective business solutions. You will own the entire sales cycle, from prospecting to closing, and are expected to be a hands-on contributor in driving outbound efforts and expanding Acerta's reach in the US or EMEA regions.

Key Responsibilities

• New Business Development: Own the sales cycle from prospecting to closing, targeting global manufacturing organizations with numerous factory locations.
• Quota Achievement: Exceed a $400K 1st year quota and generate a pipeline to achieve a $1.2M quota in year two.
• Sales Expertise: Articulate Acerta’s value proposition effectively to both technical and business buyers, with a particular focus on manufacturing operations teams (Operations Technology - OT).
• Pipeline Generation: Use modern sales tools (e.g., LinkedIn Navigator, ZoomInfo, Outreach) to create and manage a strong pipeline, executing multi-threaded outreach to generate qualified opportunities.
• Customer Relationship Building: Develop strong relationships with key stakeholders, including OT groups, to identify business challenges and provide value-driven solutions.
• Forecasting and Reporting: Provide accurate sales forecasts and weekly activity reports, continuously refining account penetration strategies.

Qualifications

• Experience: 5+ years of enterprise SaaS sales experience with a proven track record of exceeding quotas and selling to global manufacturing organizations. Experience with SaaS application sales and understanding of manufacturing process control is critical.
• Manufacturing Domain Knowledge: Experience in discrete manufacturing, preferably within automotive. Understanding the dynamics between OT and IT groups in plants is …